Archive for the 'Rick Springfield' Tag Under 'Soundcheck' Category

It’s been more than a decade since legendary pop trio the Bee Gees gave their last proper performance in Southern California, closing out KIIS-FM’s Wango Tango with a crowd-thrilling set at Dodger Stadium in 2001.

Two years later, Maurice Gibb died unexpectedly of a heart attack while awaiting surgery for a twisted intestine. A little more than nine years after that, his fraternal twin Robin passed away after a battle with liver cancer.

By that point, Robin and eldest brother Barry Gibb had decided to revive the band name for “Britain’s first family of harmony,” as they were described during their induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997. The pair had ramped up interest by turning up on Dancing with the Stars and American Idol, but plans for a tour never materialized.

So it wasn’t too surprising that the leader of the Gibbs went forward with a new production last year, the Mythology Tour, designed “in honor of his brothers and a lifetime of music,” as the outing’s announcement noted. Now, after garnering rave reviews for shows in Australia (where the family was raised) and throughout England (including the Gibbs’ birthplace, Manchester), the songwriting giant with the silvery mane – who stunned viewers by turning up at the end of “The Barry Gibb Talk Show” sketch during Jimmy Fallon’s Christmas stint on Saturday Night Live – will finally sing on the West Coast again.

Saturday night at Honda Center, Blondie and Berlin, the only female-fronted bands on a six-hour bill otherwise dominated by heartthrobs and other new wave favorites from the ’80s, underscored two overlooked rock truisms:

1) Women often age better than men, at least when it comes to their voices.

2) Smartly packaged sets at retro shows should not include more than three less-familiar songs.

Not that all male brethren neglected to uphold the latter point at Flashback Jack, one of the most stylistically consistent rosters Jack FM has tossed together.

Usually Jack FM stages its annual retro shindig at Verizon Wireless Amphitheater in Irvine. Not this time. The 2013 edition, dubbed “Flashback Jack,” is moving indoors and into a smaller configuration, taking over the Theatre at Honda Center (the arena’s half-house setup) on Sept. 21.

What’s more, organizers have focused their lineup more tightly than usual, unearthing a bill that might have played a place three times as large back in ’83: Blondie, Rick Springfield, Adam Ant, the Psychedelic Furs, the Fixx, Berlin and, the only rap act on the roster, the Sugarhill Gang. Tickets, $36-$101, go on sale Friday, Aug. 9, at 10 a.m.

Big Top: If you read our review earlier this week of Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros’ Hollywood Bowl show, then you’re at least aware that the L.A. gang of sunny eccentrics will create and curate “a new and distinctive circus experience” in the round and under a traditional tent at L.A. State Historic Park for four nights, Oct. 17-20.

The final date, in fact, will feature two performances, a matinee for families followed by an evening set. Also promised is a farmer’s market, plus beer gardens, late-night happenings, vaudeville comedy, acrobats – and presumably another band or three. Tickets, $60, are on sale Friday at 10 a.m.

Even in a region as accustomed to star-studded events as Southern California, it has been an extraordinary time for rare occurrences lately. Elton John and Sarah McLachlan played Disney California Adventure. The original Blasters reunited in Santa Ana. The Who played Quadrophenia for the first time in 16 years. Ben Folds Five got back together after a decade-plus apart and packed the Mouse House.

All of it was stunning to varying degrees. Yet none of it compares to what Dave Grohl put together at the Hollywood Palladium Thursday night.

To add something extra to the L.A. premiere earlier that evening of his directorial debut Sound City, a loving and ear-opening elegy to the renowned Van Nuys studio that also serves as a fantastic encapsulation of ’70s-’90s rock history, Grohl amassed many of the key figures from the film (dubbed the Sound City Players) for a nearly nonstop 3½-hour release party.

On hand, often with Foo Fighters backing them, were several artists who cut their teeth or laid down classics at the dumpy sonic wonderland. There were punk vets (Fear’s Lee Ving) alongside cult heroes (Masters of Reality’s Chris Goss), outright legends (John Fogerty) following new-era icons (Slipknot’s Corey Taylor). Plus two talents for whom Sound City was crucial: Rick Springfield, who owes his career to the place, and Stevie Nicks, who languished there alongside then-boyfriend Lindsey Buckingham until luck brought the rest of Fleetwood Mac into the studio to blaze new trails with its self-titled 1975 disc and the monumental Rumours.

Little more than a month ago we finally got a glimpse of Dave Grohl's Sound City, his documentary about the renowned Van Nuys studio that enabled the recording of scores of rock classics. And as the year began we heard about the formation of the Sound City Players, a supergroup of stars who appear in the film (opening in limited release on Feb. 1) and on its Real to Reel soundtrack (which doesn't drop until March 12).

The star-studded lineup instantly sold out a show slated for Jan. 18 at the Sundance Film Festival – and now they've added a one-off appearance at the Hollywood Palladium on Jan. 31, the same night Sound City debuts at the Cinerama Dome just a few blocks down Sunset Boulevard.

Who will perform alongside the Foo Fighters frontman? A cavalcade of names, all of whom cut sides at the studio back in the day, including Stevie Nicks, John Fogerty, Rick Springfield, Fear leader Lee Ving, Rage Against the Machine drummer Brad Wilk, Cheap Trick guitarist and songwriter Rick Nielsen, Robert Levon Been and Peter Hayes of Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Alain Johannes, Chris Goss and more.

Also expect to see Grohl's current and past band mates in the mix: Taylor Hawkins, Krist Novoselic, Chris Shiflett, Nate Mendel and Pat Smear. And it wouldn't shock if Paul McCartney turned up, either here or at Sundance, seeing as he contributed to the soundtrack tune "Cut Me Some Slack." The Palladium set is likely to feature other songs from that collection as well as classics from many of the stars involved.

Old 97's -- The long-running Dallas band, whose mix of ramshackle rock and earthy country continues to place it apart from the Americana pack, has garnered high praise for its eighth studio album, last October's New West Records release The Grand Theatre, Volume One. A second helping drops July 5. Take in another rollicking set (they never disappoint) or find out what you've been missing since the late '90s when the group plays Sunday night (June 5) at the Coach House in San Juan Capistrano, 33157 Camino Capistrano. Sarah Jaffe and Whalen open. Tickets are $25. (See them again Aug. 17 at the Wiltern with Josh Ritter, $25-$30.) Also at the club: Bill Medley, with Assisted Living, tonight, $55; singer-songwriters Tyler Hilton, Jason Feddy and Sasha Evans, with Pawnshop Kings, Saturday, $13; and Brian Auger's Oblivion Express, with My ResQue and Cole Collective, Thursday, $20. 949-496-8930, 800-745-3000. thecoachhouse.com, ticketmaster.com

Tim McGraw -- The country superstar (and Country Strong co-star) most recently issued a two-disc retrospective gathering all of his Number One Hits -- so it's a safe bet his Emotional Traffic Tour stop Saturday night (June 4) at San Manuel Amphitheater in Devore (2575 Glen Helen Parkway) will be filled with chart-topping smashes, from “Not a Moment Too Soon” to “Southern Voice.” Luke Bryan and breakout newcomers the Band Perry will open. Tickets range from $20.75 for lawn access to $90.75 for orchestra seats. Show time is 7 p.m. Think ahead and purchase VIP parking for $20. 800-745-3000. livenation.com

Bedouin Soundclash -- The award-winning Toronto outfit, which has nabbed Junos (the Canadian equivalent of Grammys) for its blend of rock, reggae, ska and punk, is about to drop its fourth album, Light the Horizon, on Tuesday. Get a glimpse of the new jams when the group performs tonight (June 3) at the Galaxy Theatre in Santa Ana, 3503 S. Harbor Blvd. Brothers of Brazil, Sono Vero and Sonny Rude will open. Tickets are $15. Also catch them Saturday at Saint Rocke in Hermosa Beach, $15. Also at the Galaxy this week: Turn the Page (a Bob Seger tribute) with Soul to Soul (a Stevie Ray Vaughan salute), Saturday, $15; reggae great Don Carlos, with Badfish, the Badfooters and more, Sunday, $20; and Front Line Assembly with Dismantled, DJ Acucrack and more, Thursday, $20. 714-957-0600, 800-745-3000. galaxytheatre.com, ticketmaster.com

Anna Calvi -- She's pulling in big talk: Brian Eno has hailed her as the most visionary female artist since Patti Smith. Her vocals get compared to Nina Simone's but to me her tone is caught somewhere between PJ Harvey and Siouxsie Sioux. (No wonder Nick Cave has had her open for him.) And though her guitar playing draws inspiration from Jimi Hendrix and Django Reinhart (noticeably on "I'll Be Your Man"), I hear Jack White and Jeff Buckley amid "Jezebel." Discover another new British sensation when this touted singer-songwriter, whose self-titled debut surfaced here in March, arrives to headline Tuesday night (June 7) at the Troubadour in West Hollywood, 9081 Santa Monica Blvd. Cuckoo Chaos opens. Tickets are $13 in advance, $15 at the door. Also at the club this week: Archers of Loaf with the Globes, tonight, $25 (Saturday's replay is sold out); Stornoway with Sea of Bees, Sunday, $13; Orange Goblin with the Gates of Slumber and more, Monday, $15; and Shabazz Palaces, Thursday, $12. 877-435-9849. troubadour.com, ticketfly.com

The Antlers -- The Brooklyn indie rock band just issued its fourth album, Burst Apart, and will spotlight it tonight (June 3) at L.A.'s El Rey Theatre, 5515 Wilshire Blvd., $20; and Saturday night at the Glass House in Pomona, 200 W. Second St., $15. Little Scream opens. Also at El Rey this week: Blackfield, with Jordan Rudess, Saturday, $25. And at the Glass House: Youth of Today, with Mouthpiece and Outspoken, Sunday-Monday, $15. 800-745-3000. ticketmaster.com, goldenvoice.com, theglasshouse.us

The lights went down and the cheers rose up as Glee Live! In Concert! reached Honda Center on Friday, and at first look and listen you wondered whether this second go-round by the cast of the hit Fox series would be a rerun of the debut tour of a year ago. The video intros by stars Matthew Morrison and Jane Lynch recycled some of the same jokes. Show opener “Don't Stop Believin'” was the same as the first time around, too.

Quickly, though, differences came into focus. A bigger venue -- last time the shows were at Gibson Amphitheatre -- offered more room to roam, from the broad two-tiered main stage to a smaller platform in the middle of the arena. With new characters joining Glee in its second season, the cast of performers has grown to 14 stars from the show, with another dozen or so backup singers and dancers.

But the biggest change revealed itself as the setlist took shape: Of 25 songs spread across 80 minutes, only three were repeats from the previous tour, something the song-and-dance karaoke nature of each Glee episode makes easy to pull off. Given how familiar all these songs are -- from both original artists and the series' many covers -- the fans that filled most of the house had a nonstop stream of OMG-they're-playing-another-hit! moments.

This time, too, the spotlight got shared more broadly among the cast. Yes, the three strongest singers -- Lea Michele, Amber Riley and Chris Colfer -- got the biggest diva turns of the night, but they didn't dominate as they had a year earlier. After the opening Journey song and an all-cast performance of My Chemical Romance's “Sing,” the attention shifted to different cast members.

Heather Morris, who plays the hapless Brittany, led a terrific production number to Britney Spears' “I'm a Slave 4 U,” with dance moves rivaling the best Spears herself can do. No surprise, really, given that Morris was originally hired to help choreograph the dance numbers, only to have her clueless character become a fan favorite.

She's slimmed down, bounced back after a grisly family tragedy, and last month the Chicago native issued her second album, I Remember Me, which instantly garnered almost uniformly positive reviews.

Now Jennifer Hudson is headed to Southern California for two shows, June 19 at Humphreys Concerts by the Bay in San Diego followed by her headlining debut at the Greek Theatre on June 22. Tickets for Humphreys, $115, are already on sale. Those for the Greek, $50-$75, go on sale Saturday, April 16, at 10 a.m.

Several more of the Greek's previously announced shows (as part of its Premiere Marquee Club pre-order program) are about to go on sale generally, including the return of Alison Krauss & Union Station (whose new album Paper Airplane arrived today) with guest star Jerry Douglas. Tickets, $35-$75, are on sale Friday at 10 a.m. Also see that lineup June 24 at Santa Barbara Bowl, $33-$63, on sale Saturday at 11 a.m.

But classic-rock special events and packed bills dominate, led by several veteran acts who will perform favorite albums in full. Jethro Tull tackles Aqualung on June 11, Peter Frampton revives all of his 1976 blockbuster Frampton Comes Alive! on July 30, and Cheap Trick will dust off Dream Police on Sept. 23, 32 years and two days after it came out. (Actually, the complete title of that event is worth repeating: Dream Police featuring the Bombastic Symphonic Philharmonic with Rhythmic Noise Mind Choir in 4D.)

Then there's Steely Dan, who will play two different sets as part of their Shuffle Diplomacy Twenty Eleven Tour, building off 2009's Rent Party Tour, during which they played 1977's Aja. This time there's more. On July 8, Donald Fagen and Walter Becker, plus their newly dubbed Miles High Big Band and backing vocalists the Embassy Brats, will perform a complete album (to be determined) plus greatest hits. On July 9, the ensemble's selections will be determined entirely by fan vote online.

With a career that spans nearly 40 years through stints in Montrose, Van Halen and, most recently, Chickenfoot -- the hard-rock supergroup comprised of Hagar, fellow former VH member Michael Anthony, guitar whiz Joe Satriani and Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith -- the Red Rocker still knows how to party down.

Since the mid-‘90s, when Hagar left Van Halen (later returning for a 2004 reunion tour), the singer-guitarist has released six albums; none has matched the success of last year's self-titled Chickenfoot debut, which went gold.

During Hagar's O.C. stop, his Cabo Wabo premium tequila and cantinas (the newest location opened at Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas last year) were ubiquitous. The brand logo could be seen on longtime drummer David Lauser's kit, as well as a large backdrop and an umbrella that covered a bartender positioned stage right.